First Of June, First Quiz Of June.

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

.

Summer is beckoning but not before you try another fasab quiz.

Twenty more random questions to test your knowledge.

As usual if you get stuck you can find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but please NO cheating!

Enjoy and good luck.

.

Quiz 07

.

Q.  1:  How many leaves are there on a shamrock?

.

.

Q.  2:  It is the name of a region in Western Europe, a unique language, a close fitting bodice and a common form of the ball game Pelota. What is it?

.

.

Q.  3:  What nationality was the first person to reach the North Pole alone and on foot?

            a) Finnish          b) English          c) Norwegian          d) Swedish

.

.

Q.  4:  Which mode of transport did Christopher Cockerell invent in the 1950’s?

.

.

Q.  5:  What word links a herb or other small vegetable growth, the buildings, equipment, etc., of a company or an institution, or a shot in snooker where the cue ball hits a red ball which hits another red ball to make it go into a pocket?

.

.

Q.  6:  What city in the United States of America is known as the “City of Oaks” because of the many oak trees that line the streets in the heart of the city.

.

.

Q.  7:  What is a female bear called?

.

.

Q.  8:  Gävleborg, Gotland and Uppsala are among the counties of which country?

.

.

Q.  9:  In which Olympic sport are there ‘Normal Hill’ and ‘Large Hill’ events?

.

.

Q. 10:  In Greek mythology who went in search of the ‘Golden Fleece’ ? (You get a point for the name of the leader, the name given to his followers and two bonus points for the name of their ship.)

.

.

Q. 11:  What color originates from a famous 16th Century Italian painter and what color is it? (A point for each correct answer.)

.

.

Q. 12:  Which English city has more than 100 miles of canal?

            a) London            b) Birmingham            c) Manchester

.

.

Q. 13:  Which empire ruled most of India and Pakistan in the 16th and 17th centuries?

.

.

Q. 14:  What writer created the famous Baker Street detective?

.

.

Q. 15:  Which black and white bird has the scientific name ‘Pica pica’ ?

.

.

Q. 16:  What is the name given to that part of the North Atlantic bounded by the Gulf Stream on the west, the North Atlantic Current on the north, the Canary Current on the east, and the North Equatorial Current on the south.

.

.

Q. 17:  If you added together all the voting seats in the US Senate and House of Representatives, how many idiots could sit down?

.

.

Q. 18:  Name the star of the movie ‘Taken’.

.

.

Q. 19:  What company, still in existence, was at one time the largest landowner in the world, having 15% of the land in North America?

.

.

Q. 20:  Finally a chance to beef up that points score. What were the eight original tokens used in the board game ‘Monopoly’ ?  (A point for each correct answer and two bonus points if you get all eight correct.)

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>
ANSWERS

.

Q.  1:  How many leaves are there on a shamrock?

A.  1:  Three (3).

.

.

Q.  2:  It is the name of a region in Western Europe, a unique language, a close fitting bodice and a common form of the ball game Pelota. What is it?

A.  2:  Basque.

.

.

Q.  3:  What nationality was the first person to reach the North Pole alone and on foot?

            a) Finnish          b) English          c) Norwegian          d) Swedish

A.  3:  The correct answer is c) Norwegian. He was Børge Ousland and he walked there by himself in 1994.

.

.

Q.  4:  Which mode of transport did Christopher Cockerell invent in the 1950’s?

A.  4:  The Hovercraft.

.

.

Q.  5:  What word links a herb or other small vegetable growth, the buildings, equipment, etc., of a company or an institution, or a shot in snooker where the cue ball hits a red ball which hits another red ball to make it go into a pocket?

A.  5:  A ‘plant’.

.

.

Q.  6:  What city in the United States of America is known as the “City of Oaks” because of the many oak trees that line the streets in the heart of the city.

A.  6:  Raleigh, North Carolina, is known as the “City of Oaks”.

.

.

Q.  7:  What is a female bear called?

A.  7:  A ‘sow’.

.

.

Q.  8:  Gävleborg, Gotland and Uppsala are among the counties of which country?

A.  8:  Sweden.

.

.

Q.  9:  In which Olympic sport are there ‘Normal Hill’ and ‘Large Hill’ events?

A.  9:  Ski jumping.

.

.

Q. 10:  In Greek mythology who went in search of the ‘Golden Fleece’ ? (You get a point for the name of the leader, the name given to his followers and two bonus points for the name of their ship.)

A. 10:  His name was ‘Jason’, his followers were the ‘Argonauts’, and the name of their ship (after which the followers were named) was the Argo.

.

.

Q. 11:  What color originates from a famous 16th Century Italian painter and what color is it? (A point for each correct answer.)

A. 11:  Titian, a brownish-orange color.

.

.

Q. 12:  Which English city has more than 100 miles of canal?

            a) London            b) Birmingham            c) Manchester

A. 12:  The correct answer is b) Birmingham.

.

.

Q. 13:  Which empire ruled most of India and Pakistan in the 16th and 17th centuries?

A. 13:  The Mughal Empire.

.

.

Q. 14:  What writer created the famous Baker Street detective?

A. 14:  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, his creation was Sherlock Holmes.

.

.

Q. 15:  Which black and white bird has the scientific name ‘Pica pica’ ?

A. 15:  The (Common) Magpie.

.

.

Q. 16:  What is the name given to that part of the North Atlantic bounded by the Gulf Stream on the west, the North Atlantic Current on the north, the Canary Current on the east, and the North Equatorial Current on the south.

A. 16:  It is called the Sargasso Sea.

.

.

Q. 17:  If you added together all the voting seats in the US Senate and House of Representatives, how many idiots could sit down?

A. 17:  535 (100 + 435).

.

.

Q. 18:  Name the star of the movie ‘Taken’.

A. 18:  Liam Neeson.

.

.

Q. 19:  What company, still in existence, was at one time the largest landowner in the world, having 15% of the land in North America?

A. 19:  Hudson’s Bay Company.

.

.

Q. 20:  Finally a chance to beef up that points score. What were the eight original tokens used in the board game ‘Monopoly’ ?  (A point for each correct answer and two bonus points if you get all eight correct.)

A. 20:  Wheelbarrow, Battleship, Racecar, Thimble, Old-style shoe (or boot), Scottie dog, Top hat, Iron.

original monopoly tokens

.

==========================

.

Time For Some Crude Talk.

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

.  

$200 per barrel oil

It’s not so long ago that I was getting bombarded with emails about how great an investment oil would be.

At that time the predictions by those in the ‘know’, who really know nothing, was that oil would hit $200 per barrel – maybe much, much more!

Well, they almost got the number correct, except that oil actually hit $20 per barrel, not $200. As these things go it was a pretty good guess!!!

declining oil price

So why has the oil price declined and, although it has recovered a bit, why are the predictions for today’s low prices to hold long term?

The simple layman’s answer of course is that the oil price has declined because supply is greater than demand. When there is a surplus of a commodity the price falls and when it is scarce the price rises.

The supply of oil has increased relative to demand for a number of reasons.

The most obvious one is the vast reserves of oil found and now being recovered in the massive shale-oil fields in the United States of America and the tar-sands in Canada that have added more than 5 million barrels per day to domestic oil production since 2008. Able to produce more at home, North America has been able to reduce its demand for imported oil.

OPEC

The effect of this, of course, is that the OPEC countries have seen their annual revenues fall sharply during the same period. To try to rectify this fall in income, which they need to provide for their own citizens, they have been trying to replace lost revenue from North America by increasing production of their own oil supplies.

In other words, they have created even more over supply in the market, which helps to keep the oil price down.

Then there was the ISIS or ISIL terrorists in Iraq who had taken control of most of the oil fields and were dumping oil on the black market as fast as they could to help finance their war. Recently they’ve lost control of a lot of those oil fields so that part of the equation may no longer be in play to the same extent.

However, if there is a deal ever done with the Iranians and they are able to trade without restriction again, no doubt they will be adding their oil to the market glut which will also help to keep the market over-supplied and the price suppressed.

burning off gas at oil well

Then there is the increasing use of compressed natural gas or CNG. This is the natural gas that used to be burned off at the oil wells, but that is now collected, compressed into tanks and used to power vehicles and in drilling equipment, meaning less diesel is purchased.

Despite all these over-supply pressures, the thing that is keeping the oil price from collapsing completely is the continued demand from China. This is a good thing because a long-term collapse in the oil price, whilst it may make life a bit easier financially for many with decreased heating and fuel bills, also has detrimental secondary effects on some parts of the country where the oil industry provides a living for a great many people.

I haven’t had an email about investing in oil for a long time and I don’t expect them to start again soon. Now you know why.

.

================================

.

Another Twenty Questions

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

.

Get ready to scratch that head.

Another twenty questions for fasab quiz day.

As usual if you get stuck you can find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but please, NO cheating!

Enjoy and good luck.

quiz 05.

 

 

.

Q.  1:  Who played Cameron Poe in the action movie Con Air?

.

.

Q.  2:  What is the lowest number on the FM dial?

.

.

Q.  3:  We’ve all seen the iconic ‘Jeep’, but approximately how many were built during WWII?

            a) 250,000      b) 450,000      c) 650,000      d) 850,000      or  e) 1,050,000

.

.

Q.  4:  Think about a map of the bottom of South America for this one, what strait separates Chile from Tierra Del Fuego?

.

.

Q.  5:  One of the most famous up-market automobile brands is BMW, but what do the letters ‘B-M-W’ stand for?

.

.

Q.  6:  Who is former government agent ‘Raymond “Red” Reddington’ in the excellent television series ‘The Blacklist’?

.

.

Q.  7:  Founded in 1592, what is the oldest university in the Republic of Ireland called?

.

.

Q.  8:  Founded in 1908 what is the oldest university in Northern Ireland called?

.

.

Q.  9:  How many hot dog buns are in a standard package?

.

.

Q. 10:  What is the capital city of each of the following European countries? (A point for each correct answer, plus a bonus point if you name them all correctly.)

            a) Greece      b) Britain      c) France      d) Spain      e) Portugal      f) Switzerland      

.

.

Q. 11:  Fifty cardinals, two flamingos and six penguins attended the 1963 London premiere of what movie?

.

.

Q. 12:  Mahatma Gandhi qualified in England for which profession before practicing in South Africa and then moving back to India?

.

.

Q. 13:  Name North America’s ‘Great Lakes’? (A point for each correct answer, plus a bonus point if you name them all correctly.)

.

.

Q. 14:  The stirring voices of Anthony Quinn, Richard Burton and Curd Jürgens were all used, albeit in different versions, to narrate what?

.

.

Q. 15:  How many states in the United States of America begin with the letter ‘C’? (Bonus points for each one you name correctly.)

.

.

Q. 16:  What American born actor of the 1930s to the 1950s shares his name with a county in Northern Ireland?

.

.

Q. 17:  Who was allegedly the first Christian Emperor of Rome and founder of Constantinople?

.

.

Q. 18:  Which fruit plays a role in the downfall of Captain Queeg in the movie ‘The Caine Mutiny’?

.

.

Q. 19:  In which year did William Shakespeare die?

.

.

Q. 20:  What member of this musical family was a ‘Long Haired Lover From Liverpool’?

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

ANSWERS

.

Q.  1:  Who played Cameron Poe in the action movie Con Air?

A.  1:  Nicolas Cage.

.

.

Q.  2:  What is the lowest number on the FM dial?

A.  2:  88.

.

.

Q.  3:  We’ve all seen the iconic ‘Jeep’, but approximately how many were built during WWII?

            a) 250,000      b) 450,000      c) 650,000      d) 850,000      or  e) 1,050,000

A.  3:  The correct answer is c) approximately 650,000 Jeeps were built during WWII.

.

.

Q.  4:  Think about a map of the bottom of South America for this one, what strait separates Chile from Tierra Del Fuego?

A.  4:  The Strait of Magellan. (Sometimes also called The Straits of Magellan.)

.

.

Q.  5:  One of the most famous up-market automobile brands is BMW, but what do the letters ‘B-M-W’ stand for?

A.  5:  ‘BMW’ is an acronym for ‘Bavarian Motor Works’.

.

.

Q.  6:  Who is former government agent ‘Raymond “Red” Reddington’ in the excellent television series ‘The Blacklist’?

A.  6:  James Spader.

.

.

Q.  7:  Founded in 1592, what is the oldest university in the Republic of Ireland called?

A.  7:  Trinity College, aka the University of Dublin.

.

.

Q.  8:  Founded in 1908 what is the oldest university in Northern Ireland called?

A.  8:  Queens University.

.

.

Q.  9:  How many hot dog buns are in a standard package?

A.  9:  8.

.

.

Q. 10:  What is the capital city of each of the following European countries? (A point for each correct answer, plus a bonus point if you name them all correctly.)

            a) Greece      b) Britain      c) France      d) Spain      e) Portugal      f) Switzerland      

A. 10:  a) Athens      b) London      c) Paris      d) Madrid      e) Lisbon        f) Berne

.

.

Q. 11:  Fifty cardinals, two flamingos and six penguins attended the 1963 London premiere of what movie?

A. 11:  The clue was in the question, it was the movie premier of ‘The Birds’.

.

.

Q. 12:  Mahatma Gandhi qualified in England for which profession before practicing in South Africa and then moving back to India?

A. 12:  Law.

.

.

Q. 13:  Name North America’s ‘Great Lakes’? (A point for each correct answer, plus a bonus point if you name them all correctly.)

A. 13:  North America’s ‘Great Lakes’ consist of Lakes ‘Superior’, ‘Michigan’, ‘Huron’, ‘Erie’, and ‘Ontario’.

.

.

Q. 14:  The stirring voices of Anthony Quinn, Richard Burton and Curd Jürgens were all used, albeit in different versions, to narrate what?

A. 14:  Jeff Wayne’s musical version of ‘The War Of The Worlds’. Burton’s was used in the English version, Quinn’s in the Spanish, and Jürgens’ in the German.

.

.

Q. 15:  How many states in the United States of America begin with the letter ‘C’? (Bonus points for each one you name correctly.)

A. 15:  Three states in the US begin with the letter’C’, California, Colorado and Connecticut.

.

.

Q. 16:  What American born actor of the 1930s to the 1950s shares his name with a county in Northern Ireland?

A. 16:  Tyrone Power. County Tyrone is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland.

.

.

Q. 17:  Who was allegedly the first Christian Emperor of Rome and founder of Constantinople?

A. 17:  Constantine The Great.

.

.

Q. 18:  Which fruit plays a role in the downfall of Captain Queeg in the movie ‘The Caine Mutiny’?

A. 18:  Strawberries.

.

.

Q. 19:  In which year did William Shakespeare die?

A. 19:  It should be an easy one to remember, the year was 1616.

.

.

Q. 20:  What member of this musical family was a Long Haired Lover From Liverpool?

A. 20:  Little Jimmy Osmond. Here it is…. Sorry!

.

.

=======================================================

.

It’s Monday, It’s May 12th, And It’s Quiz Day!

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

.

Welcome to another fasab quiz.

Some difficult ones, some easy ones, and one or two that you should know but might not.

As usual if you get stuck you can find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but please, NO cheating!

Enjoy and good luck.

.

Quiz 5

.

Q.  1:  Take a quarter, multiply it by a dime, divide that total by 2 bits and add 3 nickles, and what have you got?

.

.

Q.  2:  Name the top three cork-producing countries in the world. (And take a point for each correct answer.)

.

.

Q.  3:  You’ve seen it thousands of times, but why was the dollar symbol ($) designed this way?

.

.

Q.  4:  What was the name of the physician who set the leg of Lincoln’s assassin John Wilkes Booth? (A point for his last name, a bonus if you know his first name as well.)

.

.

Q.  5:  Where in North America is the largest water clock?

.

.

Q.  6:  What is the only letter in the alphabet that has more than one syllable?

.

.

Q.  7:  There are six words in the English language with the letter combination “uu.” Two of them you have probably heard of, the rest are more obscure, but you get a point for each one you can name correctly.

.

.

Q.  8:  Who are the only three angels mentioned by name in the Bible? (A point for each correct answer.)

.

.

Q.  9:  What do you call the little hole in the sink that lets the water drain out, instead of flowing over the side?

.

.

Q. 10:  Why has the Pentagon, in Arlington, Virginia, twice as many bathrooms as is necessary?

.

.

Q. 11:  What are residents of the island of Crete called? (If you spell this wrong it will be very stupid.)

.

.

Q. 12:  And, what are residents of the island of Lesbos called?

.

.

Q. 13:  Who was the only American president to be wounded in the Civil War?

.

.

Q. 14:  If you add up the numbers 1-100 consecutively (1+2+3+4+5 etc) what is the total?

.

.

Q. 15:  Where were Venetian blinds invented?

.

.

Q. 16:  What is the southern most city in the United States?

.

.

Q. 17:  Everyone thinks that a ‘qwerty’ computer keyboard is just the same as a typewriter keyboard, but it isn’t. What is missing from the typewriter keyboard that is always on a computer keyboard?

.

.

Q. 18:  Where do Panama hats come from?

.

.

Q. 19:  How many ‘Die Hard’ movies have there been  –  so far? (Bonus points for each one you can name correctly. Double bonus if you know the years.)

.

.

Q. 20:  What was the first video ever played on MTV Europe?

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

ANSWERS

.

Q.  1:  Take a quarter, multiply it by a dime, divide that total by 2 bits and add 3 nickles, and what have you got?

A.  1:  Answer = 25  (25 x 10) / (2 x 12.5) + (3 x 5)  =  25

.

.

Q.  2:  Name the top three cork-producing countries in the world. (And take a point for each correct answer.)

A.  2:  The top three cork-producing countries are Spain, Portugal and Algeria.

.

.

Q.  3:  You’ve seen it thousands of times, but why was the dollar symbol ($) designed this way?

A.  3:  The dollar symbol ($) is a U combined with an S (U.S.)

.

.

Q.  4:  What was the name of the physician who set the leg of Lincoln’s assassin John Wilkes Booth? (A point for his last name, a bonus if you know his first name as well.)

A.  4:  Dr. Samuel A. Mudd was the physician who set the leg of Lincoln’s assassin John Wilkes Booth … and whose shame created the expression for ignominy, “His name is Mudd.”

.

.

Q.  5:  Where in North America is the largest water clock?

A.  5:  The largest water clock in North America is at the shopping mall in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada.

.

.

Q.  6:  What is the only letter in the alphabet that has more than one syllable?

A.  6:  ‘W’ is the only letter in the alphabet that has more than one syllable… it has three.

.

.

Q.  7:  There are six words in the English language with the letter combination “uu.” Two of them you have probably heard of, the rest are more obscure, but you get a point for each one you can name correctly.

A.  7:  The six words in the English language with the letter combination “uu” are:                                         Muumuu, vacuum, continuum, duumvirate, duumvir and residuum.

.

.

Q.  8:  Who are the only three angels mentioned by name in the Bible? (A point for each correct answer.)

A.  8:  The three angels mentioned by name in the Bible are Gabriel, Michael, and Lucifer.

.

.

Q.  9:  What do you call the little hole in the sink that lets the water drain out, instead of flowing over the side?

A.  9:  The little hole in the sink that lets the water drain out, instead of flowing over the side, is called a “porcelator”.

.

.

Q. 10:  Why has the Pentagon, in Arlington, Virginia, twice as many bathrooms as is necessary?

A. 10:  The Pentagon, in Arlington, Virginia, has twice as many bathrooms as is necessary because when it was built in the 1940s, the state of Virginia still had segregation laws requiring separate toilet facilities for blacks and whites.

.

.

Q. 11:  What are residents of the island of Crete called? (If you spell this wrong it will be very stupid.)

A. 11:  They are called Cretans. (Deduct a point if you said Cretins!)

.

.

Q. 12:  And, what are residents of the island of Lesbos called?

A. 12:  Residents of the island of Lesbos are Lesbosians, rather than Lesbians. (Of course, lesbians are called lesbians because Sappho was from Lesbos.)

.

.

Q. 13:  Who was the only American president to be wounded in the Civil War?

A. 13:  Rutherford B. Hayes was the only president to be wounded in the Civil War — not once, but four times. Four horses were shot out from beneath him.

.

.

Q. 14:  If you add up the numbers 1-100 consecutively (1+2+3+4+5 etc) what is the total?

A. 14:  If you add up the numbers 1-100 consecutively (1+2+3+4+5 etc) the total is 5050.

.

.

Q. 15:  Where were Venetian blinds invented?

A. 15:  You’d think it should be Venice, but Venetian blinds were invented in Japan.

.

.

Q. 16:  What is the southern most city in the United States?

A. 16:  The southern most city in the United States is Na’alehu, Hawaii.

.

.

Q. 17:  Everyone thinks that a ‘qwerty’ computer keyboard is just the same as a typewriter keyboard, but it isn’t. What is missing from the typewriter keyboard that is always on a computer keyboard?

A. 17:  The back slash is missing. Before the age of computers, typewriters only had one type of slash, the forward slash (/). Even earlier versions hadn’t even got that! Bet you never even noticed.

.

.

Q. 18:  Where do Panama hats come from?

A. 18:  Panama hats are made in Equador.

.

.

Q. 19:  How many ‘Die Hard’ movies have there been  –  so far? (Bonus points for each one you can name correctly. Double bonus if you know the years.)

A. 19:  There have been five ‘Die Hard’ movies so far, ‘Die Hard’ (1988), ‘Die Hard 2’ (1990), ‘Die Hard with a Vengeance’ (1995), ‘Live Free or Die Hard’ (2007) and ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’ (2013).

.

.

Q. 20:  What was the first video ever played on MTV Europe?

A. 20:  The first video ever played on MTV Europe was “Money For Nothing” by Dire Straits.

.

.

==========================================

.

Good Luck, It’s Quiz Day!

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

.

Another Monday, another quiz to start the week.

As usual the answers are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below  –  but NO cheating!

Enjoy, and good luck!

.

Quiz 6

.

Q.  1:  Who sang ‘Coward of the County’ in 1980?

.

.

Q.  2:  Of which Native American tribe was Sitting Bull a member?

.

.

Q.  3:  Which temple stands on the Acropolis in Athens?

.

.

Q.  4:  Who was the first man to win the Academy Award for best actor two years in a row?

    a) Clark Gable

    b) James Stewart

    c) Charles Laughton

    d) Spencer Tracy

.

.

Q.  5:  What nickname was given to Baron von Richthofen’s fighter squadron in World War I?

.

.

Q.  6:  Of which country has President Kenneth Kaudu been the leader?

.

.

Q.  7:  In which fictional American town or city was the TV series Northern Exposure set?

.

.

Q.  8:  What nationality is tennis player Boris Becker?

.

.

Q.  9:  Which religion was founded by Prince Guatama Siddhartha in the 6th century BC?

.

.

Q. 10:  What was the nationality of Zorba in the movie and who played him?

.

.

Q. 11:  What is the name of Ozzy Osbourne’s wife?

.

.

Q. 12:  Where were Geoffrey Chaucer’s pilgrims going as they told their tales?

.

.

Q. 13:  In Rastafari, who is known as ‘The Lion of Judah’?

.

.

Q. 14:  What term is given to the point in spring when the sun’s path crosses the celestial equator, so that day and night are of approximately equal length?

.

.

Q. 15:  The composer Ludwig van Beethoven and the poet William Wordsworth were both born in the same year. Which year was it?

.

.

Q. 16:  On the 7th of January 1785, George Washington became the first man in North America to send which kind of letter?

.

.

Q. 17:  Who was the young star of ‘National Velvet’ in 1945?

.

.

Q. 18:  Although its name is a synonym for ‘no apprehension’, which massive revolutionary invention, first introduced in 1906, instilled fear all over the world?

.

.

Q. 19:  Who was the first person to appear on the cover of the Rolling Stone?  

    a) Dr Hook

    b) Elvis

    c) John Lennon

    d) Mick Jagger

.

.

Q. 20:  This ‘Soul Man’ took a ‘Walk On The Wild Side’ and then had a ‘Perfect Day’. Who was he?

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

ANSWERS

.

Q.  1:  Who sang ‘Coward of the County’ in 1980?

A.  1:  Kenny Rogers

.

.

Q.  2:  Of which American tribe was Sitting Bull a member?

A.  2:  Lakota Sioux.

.

.

Q.  3:  Which temple stands on the Acropolis in Athens?

A.  3:  The Parthenon.

.

.

Q.  4:  Who was the first man to win the Academy Award for best actor two years in a row?

    a) Clark Gable

    b) James Stewart

    c) Charles Laughton

    d) Spencer Tracy

A.  4:  d) Spencer Tracy (1937 for Captains Courageous and 1938 for Boys Town)

.

.

Q.  5:  What nickname was given to Baron von Richthofen’s fighter squadron in World War I?

A.  5: ‘Flying Circus’ or ‘Richthofen’s Circus’.

.

.

Q.  6:  Of which country has President Kaudu been the leader?

A.  6:  Zambia.

.

.

Q.  7:  In which fictional American town or city was the TV series Northern Exposure set?

A.  7:  Cicely, Alaska.

.

.

Q.  8:  What nationality is tennis player Boris Becker?

A.  8:  German.

.

.

Q.  9:  Which religion was founded by Prince Guatama Siddhartha in the 6th century BC?

A.  9:  Buddhism.

.

.

Q. 10:  What was the nationality of Zorba in the movie and who played him?

A. 10:  Greek, and he was played by Anthony Quinn.

.

.

Q. 11:  What is the name of Ozzy Osbourne’s wife?

A. 11:  Sharon.

.

.

Q. 12:  Where were Geoffrey Chaucer’s pilgrims going as they told their tales?

A. 12:  Canterbury.

.

.

Q. 13:  In Rastafari, who is known as ‘The Lion of Judah’?

A. 13:  Haile Selassie (the First).

.

.

Q. 14:  What term is given to the point in spring when the sun’s path crosses the celestial equator, so that day and night are of approximately equal length?

A. 14:  The vernal equinox.

.

.

Q. 15:  The composer Ludwig van Beethoven and the poet William Wordsworth were both born in the same year. Which year was it?

A. 15:  1770.

.

.

Q. 16:  On the 7th of January 1785, George Washington became the first man in North America to send which kind of letter?

A. 16:  An ‘Air Mail’.  Using a balloon. The letter was addressed to no one but was to be given to the owner of the property on which the balloon landed.

.

.

Q. 17:  Who was the young star of ‘National Velvet’ in 1945?

A. 17:  Elizabeth Taylor.

.

.

Q. 18:  Although its name is a synonym for ‘no apprehension’, which massive revolutionary invention, first introduced in 1906, instilled fear all over the world?

A. 18:  The Dreadnought battleship.

.

.

Q. 19:  Who was the first person to appear on the cover of the Rolling Stone?  

    a) Dr Hook

    b) Elvis

    c) John Lennon

    d) Mick Jagger

A. 19:  c) John Lennon.

.

.

Q. 20:  This ‘Soul Man’ took a ‘Walk On The Wild Side’ and then had a ‘Perfect Day’. Who was he?

A. 20:  Lou Reed, those are the names of his songs that made it in the charts.


.

===========================================

.

Need Your Brains Tested? Then You’ve Come To The Right Place. It’s Quiz Day!

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

.

A few years ago a friend of mine who was experiencing headaches was sent for a brain scan.

Later I asked him how he got on.

“They couldn’t find anything,” he replied very relieved.

“I could have told you that and saved you a lot of money,” I told him and laughed.

He never got the joke.

.

But on to today’s brain test.

Another twenty easy, hard and tricky questions for you to try.

As usual the answers are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below – but NO cheating!

Best of luck.

.

quiz 06

.

Q.  1:  Which rabbit was the hero of some of Beatrix Potter’s stories?

.

.

Q.  2:  In which of the arts did Vaslav Nijinsky make his mark?

.

.

Q.  3:  Which diminutive and very young Russian gymnast was a star of the 1972 Olympics?

.

.

Q.  4:  Which land mammal has the highest blood pressure?  (Obvious if you think about it.)

.

.

Q.  5:  Which ‘big man’ is credited with discovering a route through the Cumberland Pass in frontier America?

.

.

Q.  6:  What kind of electricity can be produced by combing your hair?

.

.

Q.  7:  The sound of screaming demons leaving Regan’s body in the movie ‘The Exorcist’ is actually a recording of what?

.

.

Q.  8:  Yachting, which country held the Americas Cup from 1932 till 1983?

.

.

Q.  9:  1981 saw the abolition of which means of execution in France?

.

.

Q. 10:  Who is the only man to have won the  SAME  Grand Slam singles title in tennis on three different surfaces?

.

.

Q. 11:  Which drink is named after those who once owned large tracks of land in the eastern part of North America?

.

.

Q. 12:  According to Plato, what was found just beyond the Pillars of Hercules?

.

.

Q. 13:  Which heavenly fortified dessert wine is one of, if not the oldest wine from California?

.

.

Q. 14:  What was the name given to the first nuclear test in the USA on the 16th of July 1945?

.

.

Q. 15:  In the movie industry, which name is given to an ordinary on set helper?

.

.

Q. 16:  What is the S shaped sound hole in a violin called?

.

.

Q. 17:  Which word used to describe someone who is skillful means, when translated, ‘to the right’?

.

.

Q. 18:  Which world famous landmark is found on Mount Lee?

.

.

Q. 19:  If you were awarded 10 points in the UK for using it but only 1 point in Poland, what would you be doing?

.

.

Q. 20:  Which infamous cleaning term was coined by US journalist Edward Hunter in the early 1950s?

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> 

ANSWERS

.

Q.  1:  Which rabbit was the hero of some of Beatrix Potter’s stories?

A.  1:  Peter Rabbit.

.

.

Q.  2:  In which of the arts did Vaslav Nijinsky make his mark?

A.  2:  Ballet.

.

.

Q.  3:  Which diminutive and very young Russian gymnast was a star of the 1972 Olympics?

A.  3:  Olga Korbut.

.

.

Q.  4:  Which land mammal has the highest blood pressure?  (Obvious if you think about it.)

A.  4:  The giraffe.

.

.

Q.  5:  Which ‘big man’ is credited with discovering a route through the Cumberland Pass in frontier America?

A.  5:  Daniel Boone.

.

.

Q.  6:  What kind of electricity can be produced by combing your hair?

A.  6:  Static electricity.

.

.

Q.  7:  The sound of screaming demons leaving Regan’s body in the movie ‘The Exorcist’ is actually a recording of what?

A.  7:  A pig or pigs being led to the slaughter.

.

.

Q.  8:  Yachting, which country held the Americas Cup from 1932 till 1983?

A.  8:  The USA.

.

.

Q.  9:  1981 saw the abolition of which means of execution in France?

A.  9:  Guillotine.

.

.

Q. 10:  Who is the only man to have won the  SAME  Grand Slam singles title in tennis on three different surfaces?

A. 10:  Jimmy Conners won the US Open title on grass, on clay and on hard court.

.

.

Q. 11:  Which drink is named after those who once owned large tracks of land in the eastern part of North America?

A. 11:  Bourbon. (After the house of Bourbon royal family).

.

.

Q. 12:  According to Plato, what was found just beyond the Pillars of Hercules?

A. 12:  Atlantis.

.

.

Q. 13:  Which heavenly fortified dessert wine is one of, if not the oldest wine from California?

A. 13:  Angelica.

.

.

Q. 14:  What was the name given to the first nuclear test in the USA on the 16th of July 1945?

A. 14:  Trinity.

.

.

Q. 15:  In the movie industry, which name is given to an ordinary on set helper?

A. 15:  A ‘Grip’. (You’ll see them mentioned in every movie credit.)

.

.

Q. 16:  What is the ‘S’ shaped sound hole in a violin called?

A. 16:  It is called the ‘f-hole’.

.

.

Q. 17:  Which word used to describe someone who is skillful means, when translated, ‘to the right’?

A. 17:  Adroit.

.

.

Q. 18:  Which world famous landmark is found on Mount Lee?

A. 18:  The Hollywood Sign.

.

.

Q. 19:  If you were awarded 10 points in the UK for using it but only 1 point in Poland, what would you be doing?

A. 19:  Playing Scrabble. It is the different values given to the letter ‘Z’ for obvious reasons.

.

.

Q. 20:  Which infamous cleaning term was coined by US journalist Edward Hunter in the early 1950s?

A. 20:  Brainwashing. (During the Korean War)

.

===================================

.

Significant Number Factoid Friday – Today The Number Is Fifty-Five 55

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

.

Another numbers factoid today. This time the number is fifty-five, along with its various associations.

Enjoy.

.

.

The Number Fifty-Five  55

 55

.

. 

In religion

  • The number 55 is used 2 times in the Bible.
  • The 55th word of the King James Version of the Bible’s Old Testament Genesis is “light”;
  • At the end of his Gospel, Saint John devotes 55 verses (chapter 20 and 21) to describe the resurrection and his appearances of the Christ which took place after his death.
  • The words throne and number are used 55 in the NT.
  • 55 is the representative number of the Virgin Mary. In the New Testament the name Mary is referred to 55 times (26 times by the word mother; 10 times by the word woman; and 19 times by the name of Mary).
  • Fifty-five years separate the Annunciation from the Assumption of the Virgin.

 

  • A rabbinical study enumerates 55 prophets, divided into 48 prophets and 7 prophetess. This list appears in the Comment of Rachi on Meguilla 14a.

 

  • Epsilon, E, is the 5th letter of the Greek alphabet, and Lambda, L, is the 11th letter of the Greek alphabet and the product of the 3rd & 5th prime numbers: 5 x 11 = 55 = EL
  • EL is an ancient Semitic title for God. In Assyrian-Babylonian mythology, the great trinity Anu (sky), Bel (light), and Ea (sea) emanated from EL. EL was used by the Phoenicians for the high-one. Elohim is the plural form of EL. The Hebrews associated EL or Elohim with a sun-deity absorbed by Yaw (Jah or Jehovah). In Hebrew poetry EL appears as First Cause, God, Mighty One, principle or beginning of all things.
  • In Cabala, EL is a name of Chesed, the 4th Sephira.
  • EL is Celtic for angel.  

 

  • 55 represent the Divine Person, according to Abellio.
  • 55 represent the limit of the humanity, according to E. Bindel.
  • 55 represent the total and complete man, symbolized by the two hands which join at the moment of the prayer to remake the unit in the form of ten, but being able also to express that under the form of 55, “addition in the senses of the divine wisdom” according to saint Martin.
  • The Bouriates knew 99 gods, divided into 55 goods and 44 bad. These two groups of gods would fight for a very long time between them.

In Mathematics

  • 55 is the sum of the first 10 numbers: 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10 = 55
  • 55 is the sum of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th triangular numbers: 3 + 6 + 10 + 15 + 21 = 55
  • 55 is the sum of the first 5 square numbers (also known as a square pyramidal number): 1 + 4 + 9 + 16 + 25 = 55
  • The sum of 5 odd heavenly numbers: 1+3+5+7+9 = 25; the sum of 5 even earthly numbers: 2+4+6+8+10 = 30; the sum of the heavenly & earthly series (I Ching): 25 + 30 = 55
  • Fifty-five is the 10th Fibonacci number and a triangular number (the sum of the numbers 1 to 10), it is the largest Fibonacci number to also be a triangular number.

Triangular 1-10

  • 55 is heptagonal number, and a centered nonagonal number.
  • In base 10, 55 is a Kaprekar number.
  • 55 is a semiprime, being the product of 5 and 11 and it is the 2nd member of the (5.q) semiprime family.
  • In Roman numeral 55 is written as LV
  • 55 in Binary is 00110111
  • In Pythagorean arithmetic, 2 is the first even number, 3 the first odd number. The even & odd tetractyes both radiate from the One, which is the source of all numbers. The sum of these two series is 55

. 

In Science

  • 55 is the Atomic Number of Cesium (Cs).
  • The cesium clock is used as a standard in measuring time. Its accuracy is one second in 30,000 years. The cesium atomic clock is based on the frequency corresponding to hyperfine structure transition in the atoms of cesium nuclides Cs-133.

ntp_time

. 

.

In space

  • Messier object M55, is a magnitude 7.0 globular cluster in the constellation Sagittarius
Messier Object M55
Messier Object M55
  • The New General Catalogue object NGC 55, is a magnitude 7.9 barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Sculptor
  • On February 9, 1986, Halley’s Comet made its closest approach to the sun (perihelion) at a distance of only about 55 million miles.
  • The velocity of Halley’s comet at perihelion is 55 kilometers per second.

halleys-comet-1986

.

.. 

In politics

  • 55 delegates attended the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia (1787) and 39 signed the United States Constitution.
  • Agitation and Propaganda against the State, also known as Constitution law 55, was a law in Communist Albania.
Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia 1787
Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia 1787

In Books, Music, Movies and TV

  • A song produced by Group X was called “Schfifty Five”.
  • 55 is the name of a song by British Indie Rock Band Kasabian. The song was released as a B side to Club Foot and was recorded live when the band performed at London’s Brixton Academy.
  • “I Can’t Drive 55”, is a song by Sammy Hagar
  • “Old 55” is the title of a song by Tom Waits and The Eagles
  • Cristian Vogel released an album in 2005 with the title “Station 55”
  • “Ol’ 55”, is an Australian rock band.
  • “Primer 55” is the name of an American band
  • “55 Cadillac”, is an album by Andrew W.K.

AndrewWK_55Cadillac 

  • “55 Days at Peking” is a film starring Charlton Heston and David Niven

55 Days At Peking

  • “55 Degrees North” (2004–2005) is a British TV series about a  London detective who moves to Newcastle after blowing the whistle on a corrupt colleague.
  • “Class of ’55”, is a TV comedy created by writer David Seltzer, and starring Alan Alda, John Archer, Sharon Cintron
  • “The Fall Of ’55”, a crime drama, written by Seth Randal, about an incident in late 1955 and early 1956, when the citizens of Boise, Idaho believed there was a menace in their midst. On Halloween, investigators arrested three men on charges of having sex with teenage boys. The investigators claimed the arrests were just the tip of the iceberg-they said hundreds of boys were being abused as part of a child sex ring. There was no such ring, but the result was a widespread investigation which some people consider a witch hunt. By the time the investigation ended, 16 men were charged. Countless other lives were also touched.In some cases, men implicated fled the area. At least one actually left the country. The investigation attracted attention in newspapers across the nation, including Time Magazine. The “Morals Drive” left scars which remain to this day.

the fall of '55 

  • José Saramago’s novel “The Cave” features the Center, a vast multistoried shopping mall whose catalog runs to 55 volumes of 1,500 pages each, an entertainment complex offering Disneyland versions of virtual reality, and apartments, a hospital, a crematory and administrative headquarters.

 .

 .

In Transportation

  • Speed Limit
  • 55 was the highest speed limit allowed in the United States between 1974 and 1986 per the National Maximum Speed Law.

 55 speed limit sign

  • Yoshimura R-55 GP Style Slip-On Exhaust
  • The Yoshimura R-55 is a legendary exhaust building experience that gives the sportbike rider power in a lightweight, stylish package, using a tapered trapezoidal shape, finished off in either carbon fiber or stainless steel.

Yoshimura_R-55_GP_Style_Slip-On_Exhaust

  • The R-55 on the Kawasaki ZX-14R looks seamless and will weigh less than the ones that come stock.

 Kawasaki Ninja

. 

  • BMW K55
  • In 1991 BMW tuner Racing Dynamics of Italy produced a special version of the 8 Series dubbed the K55 Sport Coupe. The K55 5.5 Coupe was based on the 850i, powered by the 5.0-liter M70 that was stroked to 5.5 liters, new valves, camshafts lifters and intakes along with extrude honed heads. The one US version engine producing 475 bhp (354 kW; 482 PS) and the Euro version producing 401 bhp (299 kW).
  • 40 K55s were produced for the Euro market and one in the US.
  • In addition to engine modifications, The K55 offered a variety of body, suspensions, rear end options.

BMW k-55 

. 

  • Mercedes-Benz S-55
  • The S-Class is a series of luxury sedans produced by German automaker Mercedes-Benz, a division of German company Daimler AG.
  • The classification was officially introduced in 1972 with the W116 S-Class, which succeeded previous Mercedes-Benz models dating to the mid-1950s.
  • The S-Class has served as the flagship model for Mercedes for over fifty years in its various incarnations and has debuted many of the company’s latest innovations, including drivetrain technologies, interior features, and safety systems (such as the first seatbelt pre-tensioners).
  • The S-Class has ranked as the world’s best-selling luxury sedan

 mercedes-benz-s55

.

  • Mercedes Benz G55 AMG
  • The G-Wagen, or Gelandewagen as it is officially named, started out as a complete off roading machine. Mercedes-Benz built it for the German armed forces and as with any military vehicle, it was designed to take on the harshest of terrain and remain rather trouble free.
  • A civilian version was introduced a couple years after the G-Class first made its debut, and it too displayed the same level of ruggedness and ‘go anywhere’ ability.
  • The G Wagen has been around since the 70s and though it has received upgrades over the years, it still remains the ultimate off roading machine that is sought after by anyone and everyone who wishes to tour the world, go lion spotting in the Savannah or drive up Mount Everest!
  • The G-Wagen’s reliability has grown to legendary heights and it commands an imposing presence as it drives by.
  • There is no doubting the fan following garnered by the G Wagen over the years and in order to cater to the growing demand, Mercedes-Benz has toyed with the vehicle to make it more exciting and usher in a level of performance and sheer ludicrousness through their AMG subsidiary.
  • The latest incarnation of the G Wagen is the G55 AMG. Considered to be the most powerful G Class vehicle yet, it boasts of having performance figures that one would normally find associated with sportscars and it can still handle the rough.
Hamann_Typhoon_Mercedes_Benz_G55_AMG_4
Photo showing the Hamann Typhoon enhanced version of the Mercedes Benz G55 AMG

. 

  • Mitsubishi Jeep J55
  • In 1950 the Japanese wanted a prototype 4X4 trucks and other vehicles and in response by January 1951 Toyota had produced a prototype. Toyota based their design on the Bantam vehicle that had seen military action in Malaysia. At the time there were many Jeeps being driven in Japan and the Jeep came to be the symbol of the 4X4. For this reason Toyota called it’s prototype the Toyota Jeep. These became the FJ40 that Americans found to be a rugged and reliable off road vehicle.
  • However, largely unknown to those in North America, there was another strong contender to the legend, the Mitsubishi Jeep. Their design was based on the Willys Jeep, the vehicle ultimately selected for procurement by the National Police Reserve Forces, and in 1953 Mitsubishi secured the rights to build the Willys under their own name. Thus the Mitsubishi Jeep was born.
  • In the USA the Willys was built till 1965 but in Japan Mitsubishi had a good thing going so they kept the line in production till 1998.

Mitsubishi_Jeep_J-55 

.

. 

In militaria

  • HMS Suffolk (55)
  • HMS Suffolk (55) was a Royal Navy County class heavy cruiser and part of the Kent subclass. She was launched on 16 March 1926, and commissioned on 25 June 1928.
  • Like her sister ships, Suffolk served on the China Station until the outbreak of WWII when she returned to Europe and patrolled the Denmark Straits.
  • In April 1940 Suffolk participated in the Norwegian Campaign and arrived at Tórshavn to commence the British pre-emptive occupation of the Faroe Islands. On 14 April 1940 Suffolk sank the German tanker Skagerrak northwest of Bodø, Norway.
  • On 17 April 1940, Suffolk and four destroyers, HMS Kipling, HMS Juno, HMS Janus and HMS Hereward, were sent to bombard the airfield at Sola, Norway. The operation had little effect and the retaliation from German bombers severely damaged the aft of the ship, forcing her to return to Scapa Flow.
  • Suffolk was out of action from April 1940 until February 1941 while she was repaired at the Clyde.
  • During May 1941, as part of the 4th Cruiser Squadron, Suffolk was involved in the Battle of the Denmark Strait and the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck. Suffolk had engaged the battleship twice during the battle, making several salvoes on her. Using her radar, Suffolk was able to track the Bismarck through the Denmark Strait and maintained contact long enough for other units to vector into Bismarck’s path.
  • After repairs Suffolk served with the Home Fleet in Arctic waters until the end of 1942, then underwent a refit between December 1942 and April 1943. On completion of this the ship was ordered to the Eastern Fleet, operating in the Indian Ocean until the end of the war.
  • Suffolk was scrapped on 24 June 1948.

hms_suffolk_55 

. 

  • HMS Finisterre (D55)
  • HMS Finisterre (D55) was a Battle-class destroyer of the Royal Navy (RN). She was named after one of the battles of Cape Finisterre. Launched on the 22 June 1944 and commissioned on 11 September 1945.
  • She first joined the Home Fleet upon her commissioning. After duties in the Far East, Finisterre returned to the UK via the Mediterranean. In January 1950, she took part in the rescue attempt of the submarine HMS Truculent, which had sunk after colliding with a Swedish merchant ship Divina in the Thames Estuary. The collision had resulted in the loss of 64 of those on board. The following year Finisterre became the Gunnery Training Ship, based at Whale Island, Portsmouth as part of HMS Excellent.
  • In 1953, Finisterre took part in the 1953 Coronation Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II.
  • The following year Finisterre was placed in Reserve. After her sister-ship HMS Hogue collided with an Indian cruiser in 1959, Finisterre replaced her in the 1st Destroyer Squadron, based in the Far East. She was one of a number of Royal Navy ships stationed off Kuwait to keep the peace as the country gained its independence in 1961.
  • In 1965 she was sold for scrap.

 hms_finesterre r 55

. 

  • USS Aludra (AF-55)
  • The USS Aludra (AF-55) was an Alstede-class stores ship acquired by the U.S. Navy and tasked to carry stores, refrigerated items, and equipment to ships in the fleet, and to remote stations and staging areas.
  • Originally ordered as refrigerated cargo ship “SS Matchless” she was launched on 14 October 1944 and delivered to the United States Lines under a bare boat charter on 23 March 1945.
  • She operated in the Pacific Ocean during the final months of the war and during the first four years following Japan’s capitulation and then laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet berthing area at Bay Minette, Alabama.
  • She was reactivated in November 1950, as the result of an expansion of the Fleet to meet its greatly increased responsibilities because of the United Nations decision to oppose communist aggression in Korea. Renamed Aludra on 16 January 1951, she was assigned to Service Squadron 3, Service Force, Pacific Fleet and took up the tasks of supporting Task Force (TF) 77 in strikes along the east coast of Korea and TF 72 in patrols in the East China Sea and off Formosa.
  • Ending her first deployment to the western Pacific, she returned to San Francisco, California, on 4 May 1953. Thereafter, for more than 16 years, she alternated operations on the west coast of the United States with tours in the Far East resupplying ships serving in the Orient. Among the highlights of her service was her participation in Operation Passage to Freedom, the evacuation of thousands of Vietnamese refugees from communist-controlled areas of Vietnam after that country had been partitioned in 1954.
  • The ship again visited Vietnamese waters in March 1965 and, for a bit over three and one-half years thereafter, devoted most of her efforts to supporting American warships fighting aggression there. She left that war-torn country for the last time on 19 April 1969 and headed—via Sasebo, Japan—for home.
  • Aludra was decommissioned on 12 September 1969 and withdrawn from the reserve fleet on 19 January 1977 for stripping by the Navy prior to sale. She was purchased from MARAD by Sea World Processors Inc., for non-transportation use, 16 November 1977 and delivered, 16 February 1978. In 1981 she was burned and scuttled.

USS_Aludra_(AF-55) 

. 

  • USS Valcour (AVP-55)
  • USS Valcour (AVP-55), later AGF-1, was commissioned on 5 July 1946 as a seaplane tender from 1946 to 1965 and as a flagship from 1965 to 1973. She was the last of the 35 Barnegat-class ships to commission.
  • Valcour was designated as flagship for the Commander, Middle Eastern Force (ComMidEastFor) and served in the Middle East from 5 September 1950 to 15 March 1951.
  • On the morning of 14 May 1951, two months after she returned to Norfolk from her second Middle East tour, Valcour suffered a steering casualty and power failure and collided with another vessel. An intense fire broke out aboard Valcour causing the commanding officer, Captain Eugene Tatom, to order abandon ship. Eleven men died, 16 more were injured and another 25 were listed as “missing”, later to be confirmed as dead.
  • After an extensive overhaul and improvements, and from 1952–1965 she rotated yearly between the United States and the Middle East.
  • In January 1972 Valcour was for inactivationand  was decommissioned on 15 January 1973. On 1 May 1977, the U.S. Navy sold Valcour for scrapping.

 USS Valcour AVP-55

.

  • Kh-55 (missile family)
  • The Kh-55 is a Soviet/Russian air-launched cruise missile, designed by MKB Raduga. It has a range of up to 3,000 km (1,620 nmi) and can carry conventional or nuclear warheads. Kh-55 is launched exclusively from bomber aircraft and has spawned a number of conventionally armed variants mainly for tactical use, such as the Kh-65SE and Kh-SD, but only the Kh-101 and Kh-555 appear to have made it into service. Contrary to popular belief, the Kh-55 was not the basis of the submarine- and ground-launched RK-55 Granat (SS-N-21 ‘Sampson’ and SSC-X-4 ‘Slingshot’).
  • A Kh-55 production unit was delivered to Shanghai in 1995 and appears to have been used to produce a similar weapon for China.

Kh-55 Cruise Missile

 . 

  • RK-55 Granat
  • The Novator RK-55 Granat was a Soviet land-based cruise missile with a nuclear warhead.
  • It was about to enter service in 1987 when such weapons were banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
  • A version launched from submarine torpedo tubes, the S-10 Granat (SS-N-21 ‘Sampson’;GRAU:3M10), has apparently been converted to carry conventional warheads and continues in service to this day.
  • The RK-55 is very similar to the air-launched Kh-55 (AS-15 ‘Kent’) but the Kh-55 has a drop-down turbofan engine[3] and was designed by MKB Raduga. Both have formed the basis of post-Cold-War missiles, in particular the 3M-54 Klub (SS-N-27 ‘Sizzler’) which has a supersonic approach phase.

 RK55 Granat

.

  • 55th Fighter Squadron
  • The 55th Fighter Squadron was originally organized as the 55th Aero Squadron at Kelly Field, Texas. By November 1917 the squadron was deployed to Issoudun, France. It was demobilized on 6 March 1919, following the end of WWI, but was reactivated in November 1930, at Mather Field, California.
  • At the beginning of World War II, the 55th continued to train aviators for squadrons in Europe and the Pacific. In May 1942, it was redesignated a fighter squadron and operated from several locations in the United States.
  • The 55th was deployed in Europe in August 1943, operating from RAF Wittering, England, and flew 175 combat missions. With the rest of the 20th Fighter Group, the 55th flew daily strafing, long-range-patrol and bomber-escort missions. In June, they provided air cover during the massive allied invasion of Normandy.
  • The 55th also performed escort and fighter-bomber missions supporting the Allied advance through Central Europe and the Rhineland. In December 1945, they took part in the Battle of the Bulge, escorting bombers to the battle area.
  • The 55th was demobilized on 18 October 1945, after the end of WWII, but was reactivated on 29 July 1946, at Biggs Field, Texas.
  • The 55th entered the jet age in February 1948, with the F-84G Thunderjet. In January 1950, and was redesignated the 55th Fighter-Bomber Squadron. The squadron returned to England at RAF Wethersfield in June 1952, where it was redesignated the 55th Tactical Fighter Squadron and then moved to RAF Upper Heyford in June 1970. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the 55th participated in countless North Atlantic Treaty Organization and U.S. exercises and operations, which directly contributed to containment of Soviet threats to Europe.
  • In January 1991, elements of the 55th deployed to Turkey during Operation Desert Storm. They flew more than 144 sorties, amassing 415 combat hours without a loss. These missions neutralized key facilities throughout northern Iraq and helped to liberate Kuwait and stabilize the region. The squadron was inactivated in December 1993.
  • It was transferred and reactivated on 1 January 1994, to its present home, Shaw Air Force Base, flying the A-10 Thunderbolt II. In July 1996, the squadron transferred its aircraft to Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, and stood down.
  • In July 1997, the 55th made history when it stood up as a combat-ready F-16CJ squadron in only 60 days. It has since made numerous deployments to Southwest Asia, continuing to contain the Iraqi threat. In the meantime, the squadron has earned awards and recognition, including the David C. Schilling Award in 1999 and 2000, as well as the Air Force Association Citation of Honor.
  • In the summer of 2000, the 55th deployed to Southwest Asia for Operation Northern Watch. It followed that deployment with Operation Southern Watch in the fall of 2001, and in the winter of 2002, deployed again in support of Operation Northern Watch. Most recently the 55th deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in late 2008.

55th_Fighter_Squadron

.

  • Lockheed Martin X-55
  • The Lockheed Martin X-55 Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft (ACCA) is an experimental twin jet engined transport aircraft intended to demonstrate new cargo-carrier capabilities using advanced composites. It is a project of the United States Air Force’s Air Force Research Laboratory, and was built by the international aerospace company Lockheed Martin, at its Advanced Development Programs (Skunk Works) facility in Palmdale, California.

.Lockheed_Martin_X-55_ACCA_001

.

  • The T-55 tank
  • The T-54 and T-55 tanks are a series of medium tanks that were designed in the Soviet Union. The first T-54 prototype appeared in March 1945, just as the Second World War ended. The T-54 entered full production in 1947 and became the main tank for armored units of the Soviet Army, armies of the Warsaw Pact countries, and others. T-54s and T-55s were involved in many of the world’s armed conflicts during the late 20th and early 21st century.
  • The T-54/55 series eventually became the most-produced tank in history. Estimated production numbers for the series range from 86,000 to 100,000. They were replaced by the T-62, T-64, T-72, T-80, and T-90 in the Soviet and Russian Armies, but remain in use by up to 50 other armies worldwide, some having received sophisticated retrofitting.
  • Soviet tanks never directly faced their NATO Cold War adversaries in Europe. However, the T-54/55’s first appearance in the West in 1960 spurred the United States to develop the M60 Patton.

t55 tank

.

  • K55 SPG Self-Propelled Gun
  • Since 1985 when it entered service, and until recently, when it has been replaced by the more miodern K9 Thunder platform, the South Korean Army relied on the K55.
  • It was a localized development of the US military’s M109A2 Paladin SPG family, license-produced by Samsung Techwin / Samsung Aerospace Industries (SSA).
  • Over 1,100 (1,180) of the type were procured by the South Korean government, supplying the Army with a long range, heavy hitter capable of lobbing conventional, chemical and nuclear shells at any potential enemies – namely North Korea.
  • The 25-ton K55 borrowed much from the American M109 including its conventional design consisting of an armored tracked chassis and boxy turret superstructure. The vehicle is crewed by six personnel and primary armament is a 155mm main gun of 30 caliber length. Defense is through 1 x 12.7mm K6 heavy machine gun. Power is served through a Detroit Diesel 8V-71T turbocharged, diesel-fueled engine of 450 horsepower. Maximum road speed across ideal surfaces is 56 kmh. The main gun can supply a rate-of-fire of 4 shots per minute while targeting is through manual means. A full ammunition load aboard the K55 is 36 projectiles.
  • The K55 entered a modernization program in 1994, producing the K55A1 designation.
  • The newer 47-ton K9 Thunder formally entered service in 1999 and is crewed by five personnel, carried 48 projectiles and features a rate-of-fire of 6 shots per minute with manual or automatic targeting. Additionally, the powerplant provides road speeds of up to 66 kph.

K55_155mm_self-propelled_howitzer_tracked_armoured_vehicle_South_Korea_Korean_army_001

.

.

Other stuff

  • 55 is the code for international direct dial phone calls to Brazil
  • 55 gallon is a standard size for a drum container
  • Gazeta 55, an Albanian newspaper
  • An Emerald wedding anniversary celebrates 55 years.
  • Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday Mr. President” dress was assigned Lot #55 at the Christie’s Auction on October 27, 1999.  It sold for a record price for a dress— $1,267,500. 

Marilyn Monroe birthday dress

.

=====================================

.